Romantic revenge and the Dark Triad: A model of impellance and inhibition

• An I3 model relating the Dark Triad and romantic revenge is proposed.
• Machiavellianism is related to the endorsement of power and justice goals.
• Psychopathy is related to perceiving revenge to be more effective.
• Through these paths, the Dark Triad is related to the rated likelihood of revenge.
• Narcissism does not appear to be related to revenge separate from other traits.

Based on I3 theory, the present study investigated a model in which the Dark Triad of personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) influence the rated likelihood of engaging in revenge against a romantic partner. We presented participants with a hypothetical act of infidelity, hypothesizing that the Dark Triad would relate positively to factors that could impel revenge (perceptions of revenge effectiveness and endorsement of goals related to power and justice) and negatively to factors that could inhibit revenge (perceptions of revenge costliness and endorsement of goals related to relationship maintenance). Although the Dark Triad bore substantial indirect relationships to the rated likelihood of taking revenge through our postulated impelling factors, our hypothesized inhibiting factors did not substantially inhibit revenge. Implications of these findings are discussed.